The annual Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series kicks off its 11th season with Hubble Breakthrough: The First Photos of a Planet Orbiting Another Star, an illustrated, non-technical talk, presented by Paul Kalas, associate professor in the astronomy department at the University of California, Berkeley, Wednesday, Oct . 7, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Smithwick Theatre at Foothill College. Admission is free; parking is $2. Seating is first come, first served. This talk is part of the local events celebrating the International Year of Astronomy in 2009.

Kalas was the leader of the team that managed the long-sought feat of taking a photograph of a planet orbiting another star. Before this, all the planets outside our solar system were found by indirect means. He will describe how they achieved the breakthrough using the Hubble Space Telescope and discuss the wide range of planets that astronomers are discovering. He is an observational astronomer focusing on imaging dusty disks around nearby stars, using some of the world's largest telescopes. The lecture series is co-sponsored by the Foothill College Astronomy Program, NASA Ames Research Center, SETI Institute and Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Learn more or call (650) 949-7888.Phone us at: (650) 949-7888Special Notice: Admission is free; parking is $2.